CBI officer AK Bassi who was probing Rakesh Asthana was transferred to Andamans
Highlights
- AK Bassi was transferred to Andamans in overnight shake-up
- He failed to get court to put on hold his transfer to Port Blair
- Mr Bassi part of CBI team that was probing Rakesh Asthana
AK Bassi, the CBI officer who had challenged in the Supreme Court his abrupt transfer to the Andamans in an overnight shake-up in the investigating agency last month, was told today to "live there for a few days". Mr Bassi failed to get the court to put on hold his transfer to Port Blair.
Where was he transferred, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the officer's lawyer.
When told it was Port Blair, the Chief Justice said: "Nice place, stay for a bit."
The court said it would decide later on applications filed by Mr Bassi as well as by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who had questioned the centre's decision to send CBI director Alok Verma on forced leave.
Mr Bassi was part of the CBI team that had been tasked by the director to investigate allegations of corruption against the agency's number two officer Rakesh Asthana. After Alok Verma was sent on compulsory leave, M Nageswar Rao, who took over as temporary chief the same night (October 23), signed off on the transfer of about a dozen officers including Mr Bassi.
Mr Bassi was asked to shift to Port Blair immediately "in public interest".
The Central Vigilance Commission has submitted in the Supreme Court its report on decisions by Mr Rao. The court had said that the interim chief could only take administrative calls, not policy decisions.